Actors Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Terry Crews speak at “The Expendables 2: Real American Heroes” panel during Comic-Con International on Thursday. — Kevin Winter / Getty Images

The stars of the “Expendables 2,” headlined by Sylvester Stallone, were on hand to talk about starring in an action movie together. Also on hand were returning cast members Terry Crews, Randy Couture and Dolph Lundgren, as well as Arnold Schwarzenegger, who is making his return to action films with the movie.

In many ways, the panel was more akin to a gathering of old friends rather than tough action guys. The stars provided plenty of laughter as they shared anecdotes from their careers and traded verbal jabs.

According to Stallone, the first “Expendables” provided a great opportunity to try things out.

“How do we showcase everyone’s personalities and still be able to tell a story and maintain momentum?” he said. “The first film was more searching; we found out what worked for the first one and tried to amplify it.”

What showed above all is how much respect each of these actors has for their contemporaries. They all watched each others’ movies and learned from them.

“These action movies are like a religion,” Crews said. “You learn right and wrong, who you are from these movies.”

Throughout the years, Schwarzenegger and Stallone have shared a friendly rivalry. Throughout it all, they have been very good friends.

“We were always competing these last 30 years,” Schwarzenegger said. “Who killed more people, who had more muscles?”

This kind of one-upmanship is only natural for the action legends, for whom bigger will always be better.

“The more I get injured, the better a film does,” said Stallone, “so hopefully I get beheaded in the next move.”

After the panel, almost as if he was being thanked for getting back in movies, Schwarzenegger was awarded with the Comic-Con-bestowed Inkpot Award “for his contribution to popular culture and achievement in film arts.”